The Dark Rift of Time
by Peach the Hedgehog
Summary: In the future, a young girl lives in a world where time no longer flows, and darkness covers the land. She wishes she could do something about it, which causes her to flee when the enemy finds this out. Takes place before Explorers of Time/Darkness.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Pokémon series, including Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness.

**AN: I didn't think I was going to be writing a story like this, but as I played Explorers of Time, this idea sort of popped into my head. So, I decided to write this out. This is only a prologue, which is why it's short. There will also be spoilers as the story continues.**

The day began just like every other day in this dark world. The wind didn't blow, the sun never rose in the sky, and the sea would no longer roll in and out. Time had stopped all around the world. It was as if the planet itself had been paralyzed, leaving the humans and Pokémon to live in this bleak world.

One of these humans was a young girl, and she hated the state the world was in now. She used to love when the wind would blow and ruffle her short brown hair. She missed the warmth of the sun and she wished everything would just go back to the way they were.

But this wish got her in trouble with the one who ruled over this dark land; Primal Dialga.

Christy hid behind a darkened tree, putting her hand over her mouth to muffle any sound that would come out of her. She listened very carefully, waiting for the Sableyes to pass her hiding place. These Sableyes were the underlings of the ghost type Pokémon, Dusknoir, who served Primal Dialga.

Her nerves felt unusually jumpy, but she had her reasons. The brown eyed girl had been chased by Dusknoir and his Sableyes ever since they had discovered her wish. They must have feared that she would act on her words, and would try to find a way to reverse the problem. Either that or they were acting on the orders of Primal Dialga. However, the reasons didn't matter, as she knew they planned to eliminate her.

After a few minutes of silence, Christy let out her breath. "That was close," she said with a relieved sigh. "I thought they had me for a minute there."

Slowly, she slid to the ground, sitting down on the gray grass. "I hate this," the brunette murmured to herself. "All I've done these days is run around, trying to avoid the Sableyes and Dusknoir as best I can. My family must be really worried about me, but I can't return to them. I'll just get them in trouble too."

A rustling sound in the nearby bushes suddenly caught her attention. As the wind could no longer make this sound, she knew what this meant. Someone was hiding within those bushes and she found her heart beating hard against her chest. She had a terrible feeling she knew who was there, but this was one of those times she wanted to be wrong.

Her hopes were dashed when a Sableye jumped out in front of the brunette, causing a gasp to escape her lips. "No!"

The ghost type Pokémon laughed as an evil glint appeared in his jeweled eye. "I found you!" he gloated.

Most humans could not understand the language of Pokémon. To many people, it sounded like they were just saying their names, or something else. Christy, however, was a rare case. She was the only one in her family that knew the language of Pokémon, which was how she found out that these ghost types were seeking her to destroy her. She happened to overhear some rumor, and having a terrible feeling, she left her family behind. She left a note to explain why she had to leave, but didn't say where she was going in case the note fell into the wrong hands.

Christy attempted to stand back up, but the human soon found herself completely surrounded as other Sableyes came out of hiding. An evil laugh in front of the girl caused her to look up, and she gazed upon the agent of Primal Dialga; Dusknoir. As the ghost type Pokémon loomed closer to capture the poor brunette, she knew that her chances of escape were small at this time.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Mystery Dungeon series. I also don't own three OC's which are used in this chapter.

**AN: Here's the next chapter! Before I begin, I want to thank Lady of DarkFire, Pikachuhunter1 and Awesome Rapidash for providing three OC's for me to use. I was originally going to write them in separate chapters, but I ended up writing it this way. I hope there isn't a problem, because I couldn't think of another way to do this.**

Christy sat with her back pressed against the nearest tree, and she could feel the bark through her clothes. Many ropes kept the girl bound to the tree, and no amount of struggling helped her get loose. The human groaned, feeling sad, nervous, scared and very uncomfortable.

Dusknoir and the Sableyes were waiting for a little while, letting the poor girl suffer before they killed her. They didn't feed her for the hours that they held her prisoner. Most people would have given up by this time.

But, Christy didn't want to give up yet! Her father used to tell her that she should never give up, and she wanted to follow his teachings. Though most likely she wouldn't escape, she tried to hold on to the tiny bit of hope inside of her.

Dusknoir laughed at the tied up girl. "It won't be long now," he informed her.

Unable to come up with a response, the brunette just stayed silent.

* * *

Four Pokémon walked silently side by side, moving through the dark forest. A Pigeot with mostly silver feathers led the way, while the other three didn't protest. The Pigeot considered herself to be a leader, and since her mind couldn't be changed easily, the others never said anything about it.

A little Pichu shivered slightly, trying to stay close to the team. After losing her family not long ago, she stuck with the group in order to stay alive. The Totodile was the most understanding of the other three Pokémon, as she lost her entire family in one fell swoop when Dusknoir and his Sableyes attacked without warning.

The Vulpix was caring, and her motherly nature showed when she helped take care of the Pichu. But, after losing her father to a horrible Pokémon, and her mother injured, it was difficult to earn her trust. That didn't mean she wouldn't help anyone in need, she would just be a little wary of the person as well.

"Selan," the Pichu suddenly called to the Pigeot. "Can we take a little break? I'm tired!"

"I think we should continue forward," the Totodile answered seriously before the flying type could speak.

"But, I'm tired, Tess!" the little Pichu complained.

The Vulpix smiled a little and stopped walking, moving her four paws downward. "Climb onto my back, Flora. I'll give you a ride," the fire type offered.

"Yay!" the little one exclaimed happily. "Thanks, Sakura!"

Selan peeked over her shoulder, smiling slightly as Flora went onto Sakura's back. She was really happy she found this group. These Pokémon were probably the only ones who understood her. Even the humans usually shunned her.

When time flowed normally, Selan was a human instead of a Pokémon. She was kidnapped by an evil organization, who conducted some experiments on her. She was turned into a Pigeot as a result, who could turn into a human with Pigeot features and back to a Pigeot at will. She managed to escape and started roaming around, looking for someone who would accept her for who she was.

At first, she thought she would find a friend, but when that friend discovered her secret, that person could care less about her. They called her a monster, a freak of nature, and they wanted nothing to do with her. For a while, she was on the run.

Then on one day after the planet's paralysis, she bumped into Flora. The little Pichu was alone and crying, and it wasn't just because she lost her family. It was also because she was cornered by a couple Breedrill who were acting aggressively. With her mind set, she moved forward to defeat the bug types and rescue the child.

More time had passed and they eventually met Tess and Sakura. Tess was so serious, and she rarely trusted anyone these days. The only reason she was there was because she thought there were strength in numbers and that was it. Sakura was on the hunt for the horrible Pokémon that killed her father, and joined the group because they promised to help, as well as looking after Flora.

One day, they found out her secret when they had to make a hasty escape. She transformed into her half human, half Pigeot form, grabbed her friends and flew them to safety. At first, she assumed that they were going to shun her, just like all the rest. Especially Tess, due to the Totodile's nature.

Flora, however, was the first to say that she didn't care what Selan was. She liked her just like she always did. Sakura agreed with the young Pichu, but Tess wasn't completely convinced. However, the group stuck together and it had been that way ever since then.

Evil chuckles suddenly caught Selan's attention and she flew forward to get a better look. Curiously Sakura followed after the Pigeot and Tess tagged along just because she could. The all female Pokémon team hid behind the bushes and looked into the clearing.

For just the briefest instant, Selan looked alarmed at seeing a human girl tied tightly to the tree. She was surrounded by Sableyes and one Dusknoir. Tess couldn't help growling under her breath when she saw the ghost type Pokémon and Sakura was alarmed for the poor girl. Flora shivered uncontrollably on the Vulpix's back.

* * *

Christy struggled hard against the ropes that bound her to the tree. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach as the Sableyes advanced slowly on her. She knew that they were planning to kill her right now, but she didn't want that to happen!

Just as Dusknoir was about to give the order to attack, a streak of silver, gray and black, attacked one of the Sableyes at full speed. The Sableyes were caught off guard by this, especially when a Totodile and Vulpix joined the fight.

"These Pokémon..." Christy murmured. "They're trying to save me?"

"Only because she wants to help you," the Totodile remarked, getting out of the fight briefly. She started to bite through the ropes, ignoring the fact that they tasted terrible. In no time, the human was free!

With a groan, Christy stood up, which Dusknoir took notice to. "Stop her! Don't let her get away!"

Just then, the silver Pigeot flew toward the human and started to glow. Her form changed shape until she looked like a human with silver hair, gray wings, and a silver and black tail. Christy's brown eyes widened in surprise when she saw this, as well as a Pichu scampering out of the bushes and grabbed hold of the Pigeot morph's leg. The Sableyes were just as stunned and didn't move, despite their orders.

"Tess! Sakura! Jump into her arms!"

The Totodile appeared slightly annoyed, but did as she was told, while the Vulpix gave the human girl a wary look but jumped into her arms. Once Christy had a good hold, the Pigeot morph grabbed her and started to flap her gray wings, intending on getting the human girl to safety.

"You fools, stop them!"

The other ghost types snapped out of their trance and started to rush toward them, but by that time, it was too late, and they were in the sky.

* * *

"You know, you are heavier than I thought," the Pigeot morph murmured, trying to keep hold of the human girl.

Christy didn't say a word at first. She was too shocked to make a form of reply. Despite the wings and some extra feathers, she recognized the morph's face. Could it really be her? A girl that lived in her town and disappeared one day, never to be heard from again? They used to be friends, and then one day she was just gone.

"Selan? Is that really you?"

For the first time in a long time, Selan was so shocked she almost stopped flapping her wings. She didn't think the other girl would recognize her.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Pokémon series

**AN: I've meant to update this story for a long time. I was stumped for a little while, but it's all worked out for the moment! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and thanks for being patient with me.**

Christy didn't know how long they had been flying when Selan finally landed. For a moment, the human girl stared at the Pigeot morph in disbelief. "Selan? Is that really you?"

The little Pichu glanced up at the half human, half Pokémon girl. "She knows you?"

Selan nodded slowly. "Yes, she does. I lived in the same town with Christy."

Before the other two Pokémon could speak, the brunette took a step closer. "I was so worried about you, Selan. You just disappeared without warning. Where did you go? How did this happen to you?"

For just a moment, the Pokémon morph looked a little stunned. By now, most people, human and Pokémon alike, didn't want anything to do with her when they found out her secret. True, Flora, Tess and Sakura had proved her wrong, but she didn't think there was anyone else.

"It's like this. The day I 'disappeared', I was kidnapped by an evil organization," Selan explained. "They experimented on me for a while, until I was turned into a Pigeot. I managed to escape, and when I did, I discovered I can take this form, but I can never be fully human again. Everywhere I go, if anyone finds out my secret, they shun me."

Christy's brown eyes looked saddened. "I see. So, that's what happened to you. I'm sorry about that."

Tess the Totodile crossed her arms, gazing at the human girl. "Why do you trust her so quickly?"

"Because she is my friend," Christy answered, nodding her head. "The fact that she is part Pigeot now doesn't change that for me."

Sakura nodded and smiled. "That does sound sweet," the Vulpix agreed. "But you'll have to excuse me. Even though you are Selan's friend, I'm not quite sure I trust you yet."

"Exactly!" Tess remarked, nodding her head in agreement. "I only rescued you because Selan wanted to. Why were you in trouble anyway?"

The brunette hung her head before glancing back up. "It's because, I have wished deep in my heart that the world would be returned to normal."

Flora tilted her little head in confusion. "But, this is normal," she said, sounding puzzled.

"It's normal to you because you were born in this world," Selan answered. "But, the world didn't used to be like this. The sun would rise, shining it's light down over everyone, the wind would blow, rocks wouldn't stay suspended in the air. But, now, ever since a few years ago, time has stopped all over the world."

"The planet has been paralyzed," Christy agreed. "I know that wishing on it's own doesn't do much. I know many others like me want the world to go back to normal. And yet, for reasons I don't know, Primal Dialga sent Dusknoir and his Sableyes after me, to kill me. But, I don't understand why."

"Who knows?" Tess questioned with a shrug of her shoulders.

The brown haired girl sighed a little bit. "Selan, that Totodile… and that Vulpix too… why won't they trust me?"

"It takes time to earn their trust," the Pigeot morph answered, as she put a hand through her silver hair and feathers. "Tess' family was killed. Probably from Dusknoir and the Sableyes because I think that's another reason she helped you. Sakura on the other hand, is looking for the Pokémon who killed her father."

Christy nodded slowly. "I see. That makes sense." She couldn't help sighing again, as she turned around. "Well, I suppose I understand. It's not that big of a deal. I should probably get moving anyway. I must put as much distance between myself and Dusknoir. Thank you very much."

"Wait!" Flora called as the human girl tried to walk away. "Why don't you stay with us? Sure, Tess and Sakura don't trust you right now, but you would be safer with us."

The brunette shook her head, but looked over her shoulder to smile at the Pichu. "Thank you for your offer. But, I really don't think I should. If I stay with you, I'm sure you'll get in trouble with Dusknoir and the Sableyes too. I can't risk that."

"Don't be an idiot," Tess told the human girl. "There is strength in numbers!"

Christy shook her head again. "Yeah, I've heard of that. But, I just can't chance it!" Before any of the other Pokémon could argue further, the brown haired girl ran forward, as quickly as her legs would carry her.

Christy looked up to the darkened sky and sighed to herself. She really hated this. Not just what had happened to the world, but also what her life was like now. She was constantly on the run, trying to avoid Primal Dialga's henchmen. She had no choice if she wanted to live. But, she missed her family and other friends terribly, and she desperately wanted to return to them.

The human girl looked around her and sighed once more. "I'm tired of all this running around. Why me? What have I done to deserve this?! It's only one little wish I made!"

Christy waited for a few minutes, but she got no reply. She sighed helplessly. She didn't understand why Primal Dialga would want to hunt her down alone, when there were many people out there that shared her hopes and dreams.

"Well," she said to herself after a few minutes of silence. "Standing here isn't going to help me. Dusknoir and his Sableyes will catch up to me if I stay here. I have no choice, but to keep moving."

* * *

Christy had been walking for what felt like hours, but since time had stopped, it was really hard to tell. Her legs were beginning to ache with pain with all the walking she had done. The brunette wanted to rest if she could, but she decided against it. She didn't have a place where she could hide, where the ones chasing her couldn't find her easily. She had no choice, but to keep going.

She turned around, wondering if maybe she should go back to Selan and the others. She was getting a little lonely. But, she didn't want to get them into any trouble either, which was why she had disagreed in the first place.

The brown eyed girl lowered her head. "I really hate this. If only there was something I could really do. But, what could I possibly do alone?"

"Not much," answered an unknown voice behind her.

Christy gasped, startled by hearing this voice and turned around. She was very surprised to see what appeared to be a Grovyle behind her. "How long have you been here?" she asked.

"Not long," the Grovyle assured her. "Believe me, I don't mean to cause you any trouble."

Christy nodded slowly. "Well, that's good to know. And, I believe you. You don't look like a Pokémon that would work for Primal Dialga."

For just an instant, the grass type's eyes widened in surprise. "You can understand me?"

The human girl nodded her head at the Pokémon. "Yeah. I've been able to understand Pokémon ever since I was young."

"Well, that is interesting," the Pokémon murmured, nodding his head. "My name is Grovyle."

"And, I'm Christy. It's nice to meet you, Grovyle."

The grass type nodded his head. "Agreed."

"Is there a reason you are here, Grovyle?" Christy wanted to know.

Grovyle smiled a little. The human girl was slightly wary of him. It was understandable. It seemed to him that the human was having a problem, and was being a little careful on who she should trust. "Your worries are unfounded, Christy. But, you don't need to be alarmed or concerned. I have no quarrel with you. I've just be wandering around for a while now. And, what about you? I can tell from your wariness that you have a problem of your own."

The human girl nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Just because I've wished that the world would return to normal, like many others like me, Dusknoir and his Sableyes have hunted me down. They've been trying to kill me for a little while now."

Grovyle gave the girl a curious look. "Back to normal, you say?"

Christy realized that Grovyle was just like Flora. He didn't know what the world used to be like. Not wanting to stay in one place long, because she was afraid of being caught, she let the grass type follow behind her. As they were walking, Christy did her best to explain what the world was like when time used to flow on their world. Grovyle seemed interested to hear what the human had to say.

Ever since Grovyle was a little Treecko, all he had known was the world of darkness. It wasn't just him, but many other Pokémon like him. But it sounded like this human girl knew of something better than what he was used to, and it interested him. He wanted to learn anything he could from the human girl.

Christy had no trouble telling everything she knew to Grovyle. While it made her feel sad to think about what the world used to be like, it felt so good to talk to someone. It didn't matter if it was a human or a Pokémon. She was happy to finally have some company.

* * *

Christy had no idea how long it had been since she had been with Grovyle, but that didn't matter. The human girl was huffing and puffing as she found herself running as quickly as she could. "I… I'm so sorry, Grovyle! I didn't want anyone else to get in trouble!"

"Do not blame yourself, Christy," the grass type told her. "It was my choice to follow you! And, I do not regret it!"

The human girl was a little surprised, but she didn't respond.

"Come on now! Don't slow down now, Christy! We need to keep running!"

The brunette would have protested, but she had to run like this even before meeting Grovyle. The only problem was, the girl didn't know how much longer she could last. Not long ago, Dusknoir and the Sableyes had found her again. They would have taken her away, but Grovyle used a Luminous Orb to blind them temporarily. This would give them enough time to escape.

After they had managed to get a good distance away, Grovyle led Christy to a spot where they wouldn't be found easily. He peeked out of the hiding place and smiled triumphantly. "Good. This place is perfect. We can rest here for now."

Christy huffed and puffed, taking in big gulps of air. She was very grateful to Grovyle. Having a friend like him would help save her against Primal Dialga's henchmen.

"Those guys seem so clingy. It seems to me they will never give up until they get rid of you."

The human girl nodded weakly, unable to answer yet.

"But, you don't need to worry. I won't let them hurt you," Grovyle promised, giving the girl a smile. "So, you trust me now, don't you?"

The brunette slowly nodded. "Y… yeah. I've trusted you for a little while now, Grovyle. Even more now, since you saved me from Dusknoir. T… thank you."

After standing there for a few more minutes, giving them a little rest, they started to walk off again. As they walked around the trees in the forest, Christy appeared curious and a little nervous.

"What is this feeling? This strange sensation?"

Grovyle gave the human girl a look of concern. "Are you feeling okay, Christy? Maybe we need to rest for a little while longer."

Christy nodded slowly. "Maybe," she murmured as she placed her hands on a nearby tree. They really were deep in this dark forest. Maybe they didn't have to worry about being found by her enemies here.

Suddenly, a dizzying feeling washed over the girl. She had to keep one hand on the tree to keep steady, and put the other hand to her forehead. "Ugh… what is this? W… why am I… so dizzy?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Pokémon series.

With a flash in her mind's eye, Christy could no longer see the dark forest. Instead, she could see brown trees, green leaves swaying in the breeze, and dewdrops dropping off of the leaves. Despite her dizzy feeling, the brunette wanted to smile. She hadn't seen this in a long time, and it just felt wonderful.

But, it didn't take her long to realize that what she was seeing looked familiar. In fact, if time would stop flowing normally, it would look a lot like the dark forest they were in now. Except for one thing which looked very out of place.

There seemed to be a glowing green stone floating in the deepest parts of the forest. The way that it was shaped made it look like a gear. For a moment, Christy seemed to focus on that item, which was beyond her control. Then, as quickly as this vision appeared, it vanished.

Christy suddenly gasped, looking around her in surprise. Instead of seeing the beautiful woods, she was once again within the dark forest. Truthfully, she'd never left, and she knew this. But, that didn't make what had happened any less surprising.

Grovyle gave the human girl a look of concern. "Christy? Are you okay?"

"I think so," the brown haired girl answered slowly. "But… what was that?"

The grass type Pokémon tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean? You looked really dizzy. That's all."

"Yes, I was dizzy," Christy agreed. "But, there was something else. I thought I saw something. The forest around us looked normal, and there was this weird looking green, gear shaped stone floating off of the ground."

Grovyle looked puzzled. "Maybe you were daydreaming about what the world used to be like," he suggested.

"I don't think so," the brown eyed human said, shaking her head. "I've never gotten dizzy before while having a daydream. And I've never seen that strange stone before."

Grovyle went silent as he tried to figure out what the girl could have seen. But, he couldn't think of anything. He had never heard of someone getting a dizzy spell, and then seeing something they had never seen before.

The human girl was equally puzzled. She had never experienced anything like that before. And it happened right after she touched the tree. She had no idea what it meant, but she was almost filled with hope. Maybe what she had seen was an important clue to return the world back to the way it was used to be. But, as she thought about it, she didn't know how that could be.

"If only I knew what I just saw," Christy murmured slowly.

"I can tell you," answered a mysterious voice.

The human girl gasped in surprise, looking around. "Who are you?! Are you with Dusknoir?"

"No, I am not," the unknown voice responded. "There is no need to be so jumpy."

"Honestly, I can't blame her," Grovyle remarked, looking around, trying to find the one who was talking. "She's been running from Dusknoir and his minions for a long time. Why don't you show yourself?"

Silence hung in the still air for a little while, and then the mysterious voice spoke again. "Very well. If you wish to see me, then here I am." A small, pink pokémon floated out of the gray leaves. "I am Mew. And, I know exactly what happened to you."

Christy found herself surprised for more than one reason. The first was because she didn't expect anyone to explain what she'd seen so quickly. The second was more of a shocker than anything else. She remembered hearing about Mew before. They were usually very rare to see. In fact, that was really all she knew. She didn't know how most Mews were like, and even if she knew, it wouldn't have mattered. Because of time stopping, and the planet becoming paralyzed, some pokémon were affected by it.

"What you have experienced is called a Dimensional Scream," the physic type explained. "It's a rare ability that some humans have. What you had seen was what the world used to look like. And that stone you saw is called a Time Gear."

"A Time Gear?" the brown haired human repeated. "What is that?"

"It's a stone that actually belongs in a place called Temporal Tower," Mew answered. He floated closer to the human and pokémon. "Have you ever wondered what caused the planet's paralysis? It's because the Temporal Tower began to collapse. The tower is connected to time itself. If it was to fall, then time would stop completely, just like it is now."

Grovyle looked at the human girl, and then back to the Mew. "And the Time Gears are connected to Temporal Tower?"

"Correct," the physic type said with a nod of his head. "No one knows how the Time Gears were removed from the tower itself. But, that didn't matter for a little while. Thanks to the Time Gears, time was still able to flow. But, when Temporal Tower began to collapse, it didn't matter."

"So, how can we stop that now?" Christy questioned slowly, feeling her earlier hope fading away.

Mew noticed the look in Christy's eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "You have the Dimensional Scream. I'm sure you could use this ability to find out where the five Time Gears were in the past. Then, you could find a way to go through time, back to the past."

"Back to the past?" the human and grass type repeated in surprise. He was talking about time travel, right? What were the chances of being able to do that?

"That's right. There is a way back to the past. If you were to go back to the past, and return the Time Gears back to Temporal Tower before it collapsed, then time itself will flow on, like it's supposed to."

Christy gasped in realization and a smile crossed her face. "You mean, we really could fix this?"

"That's right. There are two things to remember however. First of all, in order for your ability to work, you need to have a pokémon partner by your side. So, as long as you remain friends with Grovyle, and he is close by, your ability will work."

Grovyle nodded. "That won't be a problem," he assured the physic type. "I've determined to stay close to Christy."

"But, what is that second thing you were talking about?" Christy questioned curiously.

Mew sighed a little bit. "Well, you may not like this," he said to her. "But, if you want to save time, this is something you have to accept. If you succeed in saving time, then this future will no longer exist, meaning that you will disappear."

Christy's eyes widened in shock and horror. "W… what? I'll… disappear?"

"We all would," the Mew said nodding his head. "The humans and pokémon in this time would no longer exist."

The human girl shook her head. "But, that can't be. I mean, I just can't stop existing. I was around when time used to…"

"Calm yourself, human girl. That is not what I meant," the physic type interrupted holding a paw up. "The humans and pokémon who live in this world would not exist in the way they are now. For example, you wouldn't be on the run from the agents of Primal Dialga. Instead, you would be living your life the way that always wanted to."

Christy found herself a little nervous, but she couldn't help considering what she was being told. What the physic type pokémon said made a lot of sense. Truthfully, she didn't like the idea of disappearing. But, if doing so would save the world, she was willing to make that sacrifice.

"It is up to you, but I am tired of living in this bleak world," the Mew said softly before turning around and floating away.

The two watched as the physic type went away and then they looked toward each other. Christy sighed as she gazed at the grass type in front of her. "Grovyle, if I have to be honest, I don't like the idea of disappearing. But, I do want to change the world back to the way it used to be. So, I've decided that I have to do this. Dusknoir and his Sableyes are after me anyway, so I guess I may as well give them a reason."

"I see," Grovyle said with a smile. "As for me, I am curious to what this world used to be like. I would very much love to see it. I say we have nothing to lose, so I will join you! We will be partners in this quest to save time!"

The human girl smiled a little. "Partners… I like the sound of that."

Grovyle nodded his head in agreement to his human partner. "According to Mew, you have found one of the Time Gears. It must be in this forest back in the past. That means we need to find four more Time Gears! And your Dimensional Scream is the key to finding them!"

"Yeah, I know. But, after we figure out where all of the Time Gears are located, how are we going to go to the past?"

"Mew said there was a way," the grass type reminded her. "We'll figure it out when the time comes. Until then, I think we should concentrate on figuring out where the other four Time Gears are."

* * *

The two partners had no idea how much time had passed. It could have been weeks, maybe months, but it was really difficult to tell. They were as careful as they could, hiding and running whenever possible. As Grovyle once said, Dusknoir and his henchmen were so clingy, and they refused to let the two wander free.

Christy secretly wondered if Primal Dialga had known this all the time. Did he know that she had the Dimensional Scream? Did he know that it could lead her and her pokémon partner to the Time Gears and that they could save time? But then she wondered what the odds of them knowing that might be?

By this time, the duo had located three more Time Gears. Each place they visited, Christy got a strange sensation, and when she would touch something in that place, it would trigger her Dimensional Scream. And every time she got it, she would see another Time Gear, along with a clue to finding it.

One of the Time Gears seemed to be at a lake where there were many crystals, and another seemed to be under the desert sand. The fourth Time Gear that the brunette was able to see seemed to be deep inside a cave of some sort.

Now they needed to find the fifth, and final, Time Gear. But, Christy was getting rather frustrated, because she couldn't sense anything. It was rather annoying, because her Dimensional Scream seemed to work only when it was connected to a Time Gear. It would be nice if it had other uses as well.

"I haven't had a Dimensional Scream in a long time," the human girl murmured, looking discouraged.

"Don't worry," Grovyle reassured. "We'll get through this somehow."

With those words, the two friends fell silent. At the moment, they were grateful to have each other. They were willing to watch each other's back. During the time they spent together, their friendship had strengthened. They had been through some pretty rough times.

The grass type pokémon could feel his partner's frustrations. After all, she knew what the world was like before, and she really wanted to change it back. She was even willing to disappear in order to return the world back to its original state.

Christy found herself shivering. "Why do I feel like they are close, Grovyle?"

Grovyle looked over to his human partner. "It wouldn't surprise me. They continue to come after us. That means we need to figure out where the final Time Gear is so we can go to the past."

**AN: I don't know if this seems rushed or not. But if I have to be truthful, I didn't want to write out finding all of the Time Gears. That is why I skipped ahead as I did. I do apologize if it takes a bit away from the story. I really didn't want to write it out, I don't know why. **

**I think part of the reason is, a part of it seemed too boring and a little repitive for some reason. But, just because I skipped ahead doesn't mean I don't have anything up my sleeves!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Pokémon series.

Christy breathed heavily, forcing herself to keep moving. She had a feeling that their pursuers were close, and she had been correct. If it hadn't been for Grovyle's quick thinking, they wouldn't have been able to get away. The only problem was, Christy could hear the Sableyes getting closer and closer, and she was beginning to tire.

Grovyle's eyes scanned the area, trying to find a good hiding place. As they had been together for a long time now, he knew that Christy couldn't run for very long. He smiled triumphantly to himself when he found a nearby group of darkened trees. "Christy!" he called. "Go this way!" He turned and ran into the forest. The human glanced over to where her partner called out to her, and when she saw the trees, she followed the grass type Pokémon.

The Sableyes saw the duo run into the woods and they continued to give chase. Christy and Grovyle had anticipated this move. As the grass type Pokémon said before, these Pokémon were 'clingy', and refused to let them get away so easily. But luckily, it was much easier to hide with the many trees and bushes around. While Grovyle easily jumped into the bushes, Christy on the other hand had to hide behind the nearest tree.

The brunette was nervous as she held her breath. She remembered this happened before. And that time, the Sableyes and Dusknoir had found her. And they nearly killed her that time. She knew that if it hadn't been for Selan and the group of Pokémon she was with, she really would be dead right now. And then she met Grovyle, who was willing to join her cause, mostly to settle his own curiosity at first.

In that way, she couldn't help wishing that she was stronger. Sure, she had her Dimensional Scream, which allowed her to locate where the Time Gears were in the past. And she was still very determined to return time back to the way it used to be. But, she seemed to always need constant protection, or she would already be dead. And while she was grateful for the help of her friends, she wished that, just once, she could return the favor and protect them too.

When the sounds of the footsteps finally faded away, Christy heard nearby rustling in the bushes. At first, she panicked, thinking that a Sableye had found her again. But, she sighed with relief when she found that it was only Grovyle, who had hidden among the gray leaves. "All this running has worn me out," she murmured as she slid to the ground. "I could use a rest."

Grovyle did some quick checking around, past the bushes and trees. A smile crossed his face when he saw that the coast was clear. "I don't see why not," the grass type remarked. "But, we shouldn't stay in one spot for too long."

The girl nodded as her partner came up to her and sat down beside her. At this point, silence filled the air. Though it was normal for the most part these days, Christy really hated it. She wished she could hear some of the sounds of nature, not counting Pokémon if they were nearby. She would love to hear even the small sounds of the rustling leaves, as long as she wasn't hearing it because of Dusknoir or his Sableyes of course.

Grovyle suddenly placed a paw on his human friend's leg, which quickly got her attention. "Could you tell me again?" the grass type suddenly asked. "What this world used to be like?"

Christy managed a small smile when she heard her partner's request. For some reason, this information seemed to fascinate her partner. It was most likely because he was born into this darkened world. And even though she had told him several times from the time they met, Grovyle would ask her every now and then. "Okay, I can do that. I'll start with the sunrise..."

Grovyle closed his eyes as the girl began to explain what happened to the sky as the sun rose overhead. As she spoke, he tried to imagine what she was explaining. About how this orb of light rises into the sky, changing the still black sky into colors of orange and pink, turning to a light blue. It sounded very beautiful, but as he had never seen it before, it was very hard to imagine very well.

After she mentioned the sunrise, Christy talked about the sunset. It sounded very similar to a sunrise, though it sounded like it went backwards. But it sounded lovely just the same. He continued to listen even as she talked about the gentle wind, the rain, even the sounds of the waves against the beach. While it was difficult to picture, he promised himself that he would see it for himself one day.

"Well, well! You know so much about how things used to be like!" a voice spoke from above.

The two gasped for a moment and looked up. Grovyle had not looked up, so he didn't see the pink Pokémon in the treetops. But this one did not seem very hostile. She flew down from the trees and smiled. "This world has become so dark and dreary. It does get boring and dull!"

"Who are you?" Grovyle demanded, gazing at the pink Pokémon carefully.

The pink Pokémon twirled a little. "Why, I am Celebi! And who might you two be?"

As Grovyle introduced himself and the human beside him, Christy was hit with a sudden realization. "You said Celebi?"

The pink grass type giggled lightly as she continued to flap her little wings slowly. "Of course that's what I said. I am known as the Time Travel Pokémon!"

Christy's eyes lit up even more when the heard Celebi say the words 'time travel.' "That's great! Grovyle and I know how we can change things back to normal. But we need to find one more thing first. Then we need to time travel back to the past."

Celebi grinned with satisfaction. "Really, I am impressed with you! I've heard many humans say they wished the world was back to normal, but no wants to do anything about it."

"They probably wouldn't be able to anyway," Grovyle remarked, not so sure about this Pokémon. She didn't seem to be a threat, but she did seem slightly odd. "Thanks to her own power, the Dimensional Scream, allows her to locate the Time Gears, which we need to find in the past."

"And we still need the find the last one," the human reminded her Pokémon partner. "We've looked and looked for a long time, it feels like." She sighed slowly. "But, I'm sure we will find something soon."

"Well then, I think I will tag along," Celebi said with a smile. "After all, when you do figure out where that last Time Gear is, you're going to need my help!"

* * *

What felt like hours had passed, but it was hard to know just how many had. Christy smiled to herself as she walked with the two grass types. She was grateful to Celebi, even if she did force her way onto the team. After all, like she said, after they figured out where the last Time Gear was, they were going to need her help.

The trio continued to walk through the forest, which Celebi said was known as the Dusk Forest. Christy didn't know why, but she was sure that they were going to find out the location of the last Time Gear soon. At least that was what she was hoping anyway. She knew that it was possible that they could be ambushed or something. After all, she was pretty sure that the Sableyes were in this forest.

Despite it all, they kept moving. Christy's legs were a little sore, and she was hungry too. She was about to make a comment to Grovyle and Celebi when she reached out and touched a nearby tree. The moment she did, she was hit with a wave of dizziness.

"H... hey," she called, causing the two to turn.

Celebi looked concerned when she saw the look on Christy's face. "What's wrong?"

Grovyle smiled a bit when he noticed Christy's expression. "That's it then! The Time Gear must be here!"

Images flashed in Christy's mind's eye, so she could no longer see the others. A stone that was red, which she somehow knew was called the Drought stone, could be found on the pathway, near the trees in a foggy forest. That must have been what the Dusk Forest used to be. In a clearing was a statue in the shape of a Groudon, a legendary Pokémon that was said to shape the land. The statue had a hole in it's chest.

The brown haired girl quickly removed her hand from the darkened bark of the tree as she could see the Dusk Woods again. "What did you see, Christy?" Grovyle asked, though Celebi still seemed out of the loop.

"I saw a red stone, the Drought Stone, in a forest that was covered in fog. Then I saw a statue of Groudon, but there was a hole in it's chest, where I think it's heart would be," she answered slowly. "I know there is a connection."

Grovyle's grin widened. "I know. That Drought Stone must go into Groudon's heart! That will lift the fog!" The grass type moved closer to the human. "Well done! Very well done, partner!"

Christy managed to grin back happily at the grass type. She then glanced over at Celebi, who looked very confused. "My dear Grovyle, Christy... what just happened?"

"Oh, sorry, Celebi," Christy apologized sheepishly. "I forgot that you didn't know. I just experienced a Dimensional Scream. I only get these when there is a connection to a Time Gear. Like now, I know I will get these visions if I suddenly get very dizzy."

A small smile crossed the pink grass type's face. "Ah, so that's what that was about. You did give me a little scare you know!"

"I said I was sorry," Christy said slowly.

"Oh, I know, my dear Christy," Celebi remarked. She flew over to the human girl and circled her. "Now that I know, everything is fine."

"It's more than fine," Grovyle piped up. "With this, we have located the location of every Time Gear!"

The brunette grinned when the grass type said that. "Hey, you're right, Grovyle!"

"Then it looks like you will need to take the Passage of Time!" Celebi said cheerfully.

Christy and Grovyle looked at each other for a moment. "Passage of Time?" they echoed.

"Yep, the Passage of Time," Celebi repeated. "You can use that to go to the past! We should go deeper into the forest. There is a better spot to use the passage there."

The human and green grass type decided it would be for the better if they didn't argue. Instead they followed the shiny Pokémon deeper into the Dusk Forest. However, Christy thought she heard something that sounded like the rustling of leaves. And this time, she knew that it couldn't be Grovyle, as her partner walked by her side.

The girl's fear was confirmed when three Sableyes jumped out in front of them, laughing triumphantly. "Not again! We should probably run!"

"No we shouldn't!" Celebi yelled back. "They are blocking our way!"

Grovyle quickly glanced over his shoulder. "Do not worry, partner. We will take care of them!" Grovyle quickly rushed toward one of the Sableyes, preparing a Leaf Blade attack. Celebi spun around and sent a colorful Magical Leaf attack at another Sableye. While the attacks connected, the three ghost types remained on their feet, and all three of them prepared to use Fury Swipes.

During this whole scene, all Christy could do was watch. Again, she felt that same feeling of hopelessness. This feeling was strengthened when she saw Grovyle, her best friend, hit by a random Fury Swipe. The wound didn't look too deep, but that didn't stop the girl from worrying. In fact, it reminded her of her wish to be stronger.

The fight didn't last very long, but Christy could see that Grovyle was struggling a little due to his wound. The girl rushed over the moment she noticed the battle was over. "Are you okay, Grovyle?!"

"It's just a scratch," the grass type answered, trying to wave off the human's concern. Christy smiled a little bit, knowing that Grovyle was just saying that to make her feel better.

Celebi quickly waved a paw. "Come on, we must get moving! There could be more of them!"

The human girl nodded. "I know! Can you walk, Grovyle?"

"Of course, partner. I'll be fine," the grass type reassured as Celebi started to lead the way.

Christy didn't look completely convinced with the way the grass type was moving. However, Grovyle seemed convinced that he was okay. As they continued to go forward, Christy remembered something. While she was still insistent to go forward with the plan, she remembered as this future would cease to exist, so would she. Or at least this version of her would disappear. This also meant Grovyle, but also Celebi as well. How far was Celebi willing to go?

"Um, Celebi... you do realize that if you help us get to the past and we succeed that you will..."

"Disappear?" Celebi interrupted. "My dear Christy, of course I know that. But to stop the planet's paralysis, I would stake my whole life to that end!"

Christy managed a small smile. "I see."

Celebi suddenly stopped moving in a clearing. "This would be a good place to set up the passage!" She slowly closed her green eyes and put her paws together. It wasn't long until a glowing blue outline of a door appeared in front of the trio. She then opened her green eyes and turned her attention to the other two and smiled at their surprise.

"This is it. The Passage of Time!"

"So we just go through here, and we'll go to the past?" Christy questioned hopefully.

"Yes, that's right," Celebi said with a nod of her head.

"Then let's not waste any more time. We have a mission to do," Grovyle remarked. He looked toward his partner and smiled at her.

Christy grinned back and the duo looked toward the glowing door as Celebi moved for them. The two rushed forward into the passage. Unknown to them however, someone was watching them. But this was not Dusknoir or the Sableyes, or even Primal Dialga. It was a shrouded figure, concealed in the trees. He did not appear pleased by this turn of events, and blasted an attack in the passageway.

* * *

Christy gasped as she thought she heard something coming toward them. Was the Sableyes or Dusknoir attacking? Even Primal Dialga perhaps? Still, she had a feeling this attack would kill Grovyle if she let it connect. As quickly as she could, as hard as it was to do, she moved toward the grass type and wrapped her arms around him. It was just in time for her to cry out in pain as she felt the attack blast her from behind.

Grovyle's eyes widened and for the first time in his life, he felt fear pounding in his heart. "W... whoa! A... are you okay, Christy?!"

Christy nodded slowly. "I... I think so..."

Grovyle gasped when he felt her hold loosening. "No! Don't let go! It's just a little longer! Come on, hang on!"

The human girl looked at her grass type partner weakly. "I'm sorry, Grovyle... I don't know if I can..."

Grovyle reached out to grab Christy's hand, but even his own paw was slipping. "No! Christy!"

"At least... I could protect you just this once," she murmured quietly.

The last thing she heard was Grovyle's scream as she slipped into unconsciousness.

**AN: Sorry it took so long to get this up. First I had writer's block, and then when I wrote the chapter, it came out choppy and rushed. And plus, certain things didn't make sense. This version came out much better.**

**This is also the end of this story as this sets up another story where the focus is on Explorers of Time and Darkness. I plan on adding some things so it connects better with this story. I also have a oneshot based on Grovyle that I am planning on doing, which is also connected. I hope to get that up very soon!**


End file.
